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Late Quaternary (24–10 ka BP) environmental history of the Neotropical lowlands inferred from ostracodes in sediments of Lago Petén Itzá, Guatemala

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Abstract

We inferred late Pleistocene and early Holocene (24–10 ka BP) environmental conditions in and around Lago Petén Itzá, Guatemala from ostracode remains in the lake sediments. Multivariate statistics were run on autecological information for 29 extant ostracode species collected in 63 aquatic ecosystems on the Yucatán Peninsula along a steep, increasing NW–S precipitation gradient and across a large altitudinal range. Conductivity and water depth are the most important factors that shape ostracode communities. Transfer functions were developed and applied to fossil ostracode assemblages in a ~76-m sediment core (PI-6, ~85 ka) taken in 71 m of water from Lago Petén Itzá, to infer past shifts in conductivity and water level. Results suggest climate was cold and wet during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Alternating dry and wet conditions characterized the deglacial. Early Holocene climate was warmer and wetter. The LGM was characterized by low ostracode species richness (4 spp.) and abundance (<940 valves g−1), dominance of benthic over nektobenthic taxa, abundant Physocypria globula, conductivity as low as 190 µS cm−1, and clay-rich sediments with relatively high total organic carbon and low C/N ratios (<14), suggesting relatively deeper water at the core site associated with abundant precipitation. Greatest water depth at the core site during the LGM occurred late in the period and was ~50 m. The deglacial was characterized by drier conditions, higher ostracode species richness (6 spp.) and abundances up to 18,115 valves g−1, dominance of nektobenthic species, and presence of shallow-water and littoral-zone indicators such as Heterocypris punctata and Strandesia intrepida, conductivity up to 550 µS cm−1, C/N ratios as high as 37, and gypsum deposition. Lowest inferred lake depth at the core site during the deglacial was ~20 m. The early Holocene was characterized by high numbers of ostracode remains, up to 25,500 valves g−1, and the presence of L. opesta and P. globula. Cytheridella ilosvayi was absent from late Pleistocene sediments, suggesting it colonized northern Central America during the Holocene.

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Acknowledgments

We thank all those who facilitated fieldwork in Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. Special thanks to: Andreas Müller and other participants in the Petén Itzá Scientific Drilling Project, Aaron Lewis (University of Belize), the Forestry and Fisheries Departments (Belize), Margarita Palmieri, Margaret Dix, Roberto Moreno, Eleonor de Tott (Universidad del Valle de Guatemala), Rodrigo Morales, Franklin Herrera (CONAP, Guatemala), Ismael Ordóñez (AMSCLAE, Guatemala), Julio Morales Cancino (AMPI, Guatemala), Roderico Pineda, Mario Buch (Trifinio, Guatemala), Gerald Islebe (ECOSUR-Chetumal, México), Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE, México), Comisión Nacional de Acuacultura y Pesca (CONAPESCA, México), Alberto de Jesús Navarrete (ECOSUR-Chetumal, México), the National Lacustrine Core Repository (LacCore, University of Minnesota), Julia Lorenschat, Rita Bugja, Rita Löhr, Benjamin Gilfedder, Yvonne Hermanns, Harald Biester (Institut für Umweltgeologie, Braunschweig), Dietmar Keyser (Zoologisches Institut und Zoologisches Museum, Hamburg), Steffen Mischke (Freie Universität Berlin), Douglas Schnurrenberger, Dustin Grzesik, David Klassen, Luciana Mitsue, José Harders, Carmen Herold, Bessie Oliva, Alma Quilo, Gabriela Alfaro, Jacobo Blijdenstein, Melisa Orozco, Silja Ramirez, Luis Toruño, Mario Cruz, Javier Pérez y Pérez, and Carolina Alvarado de Pérez. The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, grant Schw 671/3) and the Technische Universität Braunschweig provided financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Umweltgeologie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Langer Kamp 19c, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany

    Liseth Pérez, Peter Frenzel, Burkhard Scharf & Antje Schwalb

  2. Institut für Geowissenschaften, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Burgweg 11, 07749, Jena, Germany

    Peter Frenzel

  3. Department of Geological Sciences & Land Use and Environmental Change Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    Mark Brenner

  4. Center for Tropical Paleoecology and Archaeology, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), Balboa, 0843-03092, Republic of Panama

    Jaime Escobar

  5. Institut für Geographische Wissenschaften, Physische Geographie, Freie Universität Berlin, Malteserstrasse 74-100, 12249, Berlin, Germany

    Philipp Hoelzmann

  6. School of Natural Resources and Environment & Land Use and Environmental Change Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    Jaime Escobar

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  1. Liseth Pérez
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Supplementary material 1 (DOC 105 kb)

10933_2011_9514_MOESM2_ESM.jpg

Light microscope pictures of external views of ostracode valves. RV stands for right valve and LV for left valve. The sex of the individual was determined if softparts were available. 1. Cypretta brevisaepta (LV); 2. Cypridopsis okeechobei (LV); 3. Cypridopsis vidua (RV, ♀); 4. Cytherura sandbergi (LV, ♀); 5. Darwinula stevensoni (RV, ♀); 6. Elpidium bromeliarum (RV); 7. Eucypris sp. (RV); 8. Heterocypris punctata (RV, ♂); 9. Ilyocypris gibba? (RV); 10. Limnocythere floridensis (LV, ♂); 11. Limnocythere opesta (RV, ♀); 12. Limnocythere sp. (LV); 13. Loxoconcha sp. (RV, ♂); 14 Paracytheroma stephensoni (LV); 15. Perissocytheridea cribosa (LV, ♂); 16. Physocypria denticulata? (RV); 17. Physocypria globula (RV); 18. Physocypria xanabanica (LV); 19. Potamocypris sp. (RV); 20. Thalassocypria sp. (LV, ♂); 21. Candona sp. (RV, ♂); 22. Cyprideis sp. (RV, ♂); 23. Candonocypris serratomarginata (LV); 24. Chlamydotheca colombiensis (LV); 25. Cytheridella ilosvayi (RV, ♀); 26. Pseudocandona sp. (LV); 27. Stenocypris major (LV, ♀); 28. Strandesia intrepida (RV); 29. Trajancypris sp. (RV) (JPEG 1949 kb)

10933_2011_9514_MOESM3_ESM.jpg

Scanning Electron Microscope ostracode pictures. RV stands for right valve and LV for left valve. The sex of the individual was determined if softparts were available. 1a. Perissocytheridea cribosa (external view, LV, ♀); 1b. P. cribosa (external view, LV, ♂); 2. Limnocythere floridensis (external view, LV); 3a. Limnocythere opesta (external view, ♀, RV); 3b. L. opesta (external view, ♂, LV); 4a. Cyprideis sp. (external view, ♂, RV), 4b. Cyprideis sp. (internal view, ♂, LV); 5a. Thalassocypria sp. (internal view, RV, ♂?); 5b. Thalassocypria sp. (external view, LV, ♂?); 6a. Cypridopsis okeechobei (external view, RV, ♀); 6b. C. okeechobei (internal view, RV, ♂); 7. Pseudocandona sp. (external view, LV, ♂); 8. Cypretta brevisaepta? (external view, LV); 9. Loxoconcha sp. (external view, LV); 10a. Physocypria denticulata? (external view, LV, ♂); 10b. P. denticulata? (internal view, RV); 11a. Physocypria globula (external view, RV, ♀); 11b. P. globula (internal view, RV, ♀); 12a. Physocypria xanabanica (external view, LV, ♂); 12b. P. xanabanica (internal view, RV, ♀); 13. Darwinula stevensoni (external view, ♀, RV); 14. Potamocypris sp. (carapace external view, left side); 15. Cytheridella ilosvayi (dorsal view, carapace, ♀); 16. Strandesia intrepida (external view, LV, ♂); 17a. Stenocypris major (external view, RV, ♀); 17b. S. major (internal view, RV, ♀); 18a. Heterocypris punctata (external view, RV, ♂); 18b. H. punctata (internal view, RV, ♂); 19. Candonocypris serratomarginata (external view, LV) (JPEG 3697 kb)

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Pérez, L., Frenzel, P., Brenner, M. et al. Late Quaternary (24–10 ka BP) environmental history of the Neotropical lowlands inferred from ostracodes in sediments of Lago Petén Itzá, Guatemala. J Paleolimnol 46, 59–74 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-011-9514-0

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